Long head bicep exercises can be helpful for most bodybuilders to achieve the common goal of having massive biceps. The majority of your upper arm is made up of these muscles. Also, these are the primary focus of flexing.
You are suggested to first comprehend the function of the biceps in order to successfully increase muscle growth to them. The short head and long head are two distinct parts of the biceps.
In this article, we have mentioned the crucial things that you should be knowing to target the long head bicep and develop your peak.
The Long Head Bicep: An Introduction
Forearm supination and flexion of the elbow are regulated by both the short head and long head biceps working together. Your upper arm’s width is increased by the short head bicep, which runs down the underside of the brachii of the biceps. On the other hand, the long head protrudes farther when compared to the short head and extends on the exterior. The peak that appears during flexion is caused by the long head bicep.
It is natural that several bodybuilders prefer to focus and emphasize the long head bicep in order to increase their flex, despite the fact that developing a comprehensive arm training program is crucial for balanced growth.
How Can I Work on My Biceps’ Long Head?
It’s crucial to remember that no specific group of muscles or training technique can specifically target a single head or muscle. But people can always make small adjustments to place the focus on the exact muscles that they wish to develop in the desired manner.
Long head bicep exercises that allow the stretch of your arms behind the body and move across a wider range of motion can be utilized for targeting the long head biceps. The lengthier muscle is successfully targeted during the eccentric period of this variant. Use a narrow grip while using a barbell or an EZ bar. Narrow grip workouts emphasize the long head of the bicep; however, wide-gripped movements are better for the short head.
Lastly, when performing curl movements, add a twist. Targeting the long head bicep with unilateral workouts like curls is made possible by supinating or rotating your wrist. Remember that this supination shouldn’t completely change the action; rather, it should be delicate and finished at the peak of the concentric period.
Long Head Bicep Exercises You Can Try:
The finest bicep long head exercises are tried-and-true routines with a few modifications. Try out these powerful bicep curls to start developing the peak you want and bringing out your inner Bruce.
1. Barbell Curls With a Narrow Grip:
Among the most flexible long head bicep exercises are the barbell curl. By simply adjusting the grasp width, the movement focus can be shifted to the long head from the short head biceps.
Doing this is pretty simple as follows:
- Grab a barbell in such a manner that it has your underhand grip just around inside shoulder width while standing with your feet at a distance of hip-width.
- Now, pull the barbell in front of your chest while bracing your core and keeping your shoulders back. Avoid letting your elbows drift forward; instead, keep them pressed to your sides and possibly a bit backward.
- Hold and tighten at the movement’s peak then slowly release back to the position where you started. This would be counted as a single rep.
When performing this exercise among long head bicep exercises, there could be a few crucial things to keep an eye out for.
Prevent swinging movements and use your shoulders excessively to compensate. To avoid shifting throughout the exercise’s concentric phase, maintain a tucked pelvis and a tight core.
If you have trouble compensating with your shoulders or back, lean against a wall and resist the pull to arch your back.
2. Dumbbell Curls- Inclined:
Incline dumbbell curls are the best bicep exercise for huge peaks in your biceps. At first, extend the range of motion, then just put your long head bicep behind you by changing the starting point. Make sure to focus on control and tension to get the best results.
Here are the steps that you can follow to perform this exercise:
- Sit on the bench resting your back and shoulder against the bench at a 45-degree inclined position. Hold dumbbells in both of your arms by taking an underhand grip, and let the dumbbell hang to the ground.
- Once you feel the stretch in holding the dumbbells, curl the dumbbells towards your chest one by one. Keep your upper arms stationary when your forearm moves towards your chest.
- Twist your wrist slowly once you reach the last point of the movement to keep the inside end of the dumbbell close to your shoulders.
- In the end, twist your wrist in the old position and lower the dumbbells to come back to the starting position. Do some more reps in the same direction
As this exercise is connected with the shoulders, it is quite effective to grow your biceps. Just be aware enough to keep your arms stable.
3. Behind-The-Back-Band Curls With One Hand:
If one of your biceps has grown larger than another one, then unilateral long hand bicep exercises can be used to balance out the body. Resistance bands are adaptable fitness equipment that supports maintaining a constant intensity curve over the full range of motion, which makes them perfect for bicep exercises. These advantages can be combined with the single-arm behind-the-back band curl’s increased range of motion.
This is how you can do it:
- Attach the band at roughly waist level to a fixed object like a squat rack. Your body may need some kind of modification.
- With one hand holding the band, turn around and advance a few paces, letting your arm hang loosely behind you.
- To improve stability, stance your feet so that they are spaced apart.
- Curl the band while bracing your core and maintaining your elbows slightly backward and locked in. Avoid letting the band pull your shoulder towards the back. Make a little movement to release the tension if something like that happens, then try again.
- Your wrist should be supinated outwards and squeezed as you reach the peak of the motion.
- Go back to the initial posture gradually while retaining tension and stability throughout the exercise. Repeat on the opposite side after you have finished your reps.
Spend some time determining the ideal positioning. To obtain a better understanding of how to adjust your placement to strike the long head bicep, try putting your opposite hand over your bicep as you perform the exercise.
4. Hammer Curls With Dumbbell:
Hammer curls are one of all-time favorite bicep long head exercise. Bodybuilders choose this exercise not only for the biceps but for improving their forearms as well. A resistance band can also be used in the place of dumbbells to improve the range of motion or prevent compensations.
Carry out the following steps to do the exercise and get the most out of it:
- Grab a dumbbell vertically in each arm in a manner that is parallel to your body as you hold it in front of you while you stand on your feet positioned at a distance of your shoulders’ width. Place them against your thighs.
- Keep your core tight and elbows fixed in position while you curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
- To target the long head bicep, pause for a few seconds and squeeze along with a slow twist to get the best out of this exercise.
- To go back to the starting position, just reverse your motion. Keep the pace of your movements slow and controlled.
In case you find it difficult to swing the dumbbells you can do the exercise seated on the bench as well. Hammer curl is quite similar to normal bicep curl but the 90-degree movement and the upright hold create a difference between the two.
Conclusion:
It is not impossible to build huge arms and see the peak of the biceps while flexing. While performing long head bicep exercises, you just focus on your range of motion, stability, and posture for the best results. Hit the above-mentioned exercises during the workout for massive biceps.